


Love letters... or something resembling such

by appleslovetea



Category: Finder no Hyouteki | Finder Series
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-01-20 21:00:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18533074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/appleslovetea/pseuds/appleslovetea
Summary: Akihito is away on a lengthy job assignment in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. Feeling homesick, he decides to write a letter to Asami.To his surprise, Asami writes him back!





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

 

 

Saturday, 20 April 2019

 

(somewhere in the middle of the Amazon rainforest...)

 

 

Dear Asami,

 

I wish I could see your face when you get this letter in the mail :-) (Do you even read your own mail, or does Kirishima-san do it for you?)

  
Either way, I hope this reaches you. I bet you'll be surprised to receive a letter from me!

  
Well, I suppose I should start by explaining why I'm writing a letter to you in the first place. Turns out, you were right! We really can't get any cell phone coverage in the middle of the Amazon ha ha XP, but it's not like we are completely cut off from civilization, mind you.

  
There's a phone at the campsite where we're staying, although the reception is so bad that it's only used for emergencies. Forget about phoning Japan! :-(

  
We get our food provisions delivered to us from the nearest village via canoe at least once a day, and there's a helicopter landing site not too far away from the camp. (So don't fret, ok? I'm perfectly well-fed and safe here!)

  
I'm loving the job assignment so far! Granted, it's the middle of the rainy season around here, and it rains cats and dogs throughout most of the day, so I only get a limited time frame to take photos, but the scientist crew from National Geographic is top-notch. I'm learning a ton of really interesting stuff from them!

  
We've seen so much wildlife since we got here (can you believe I saw a jaguar this morning?! For real! It walked past our campsite without a care in the world while we were eating breakfast), and the trees around here are all so massive! They look so ancient, like they've been here for thousands and thousands of years. I wish you were here to see it all with me! :-)

  
Ahhh! I can't believe I'm in the freaking Amazon jungle! :-D I still have to pinch myself from time to time just to make sure I'm not dreaming!

  
What about you? I wonder so much about what you are doing, and hope that you are well and having a good time.  He he :-D

  
Could you perhaps write me back? Just a few lines? If only to let me know if the photos I'm taking have already been published in Japan? It gets so lonely here at times when it's raining like it is now, and we're stuck at the campsite. It would be nice to have some news from home to look forward to.

  
It's not like I can't hang out with the other guys from the crew, but I'm kind of weary of disturbing the scientists at times like this. They take advantage of this weather to conduct experiments inside the lab tent. They've told me I could join them whenever I felt like it, but I don't know...I guess I still feel kind of shy around them ha ha

  
And it's not like I can really talk to Suoh-san. He mostly just keeps to himself and only opens his mouth to complain about the mosquitoes. Seriously, Asami! I still don't understand why you made him tag along with me. It's not like Suoh-san's bodyguard skills are of much use around here (What's he going to do? Wrestle the jaguars?), and besides, the rest of the crew has become convinced that I'm either a royal or the son of a diplomat! Why else would a photographer need a bodyguard in the middle of nowhere? Thanks a lot for that! :-P

  
Oh, the crew are calling me. They want me to take some pictures of their lab findings. Have to go.

  
I'll send the letter out this afternoon with the canoe. I don't know how long it will take for it to reach you though. Hope it isn't long.

  
Do write me back. Please? :-) Two months away from home is such a long time!

 

In any case,  
 

    all my love,

 

        Akihito

 

 

P.S. - I dreamt about you last night. You looked like some sort of feline creature (No joke! You had a tail and all!), and I looked like a bear and I stole part of the stash of honey you had hidden inside a tree trunk. ha ha :-P Such a weird dream! I think the Amazon heat is getting to me!


	2. Chapter 2

 

 

 

**[April 26, Tokyo]**

 

 

Akihito,

 

 

You will perhaps be pleasantly surprised to learn that yes, I do read my own mail, although Kirishima is usually the one in charge of replying to it on my behalf.

 

Rest assured though, not this time. I can guaranty that you have only myself to blame for the words you are currently reading.  

 

Thank you for taking the time to write letting me know how you're getting on. I should, however, mention that I found your handwriting to be close to unintelligible, and that it took me an entire morning to discern what it was that you had written to me.

 

It is indeed a shame that calligraphy is no longer taught in schools. It's quite clear that your generation could have greatly benefited from some lessons. (And what's up with the excessive use of emoticons? Are you 12?)

 

I take it from the general tone of your letter that you are no longer angry at me for having opposed to your current job assignment.

 

In truth, I wasn't really  expecting you to contact me voluntarily, seeing as you left the apartment on the day of your trip hurling insults at me...

 

Once again, I must stress that my initial opposition to the assignment had nothing to do with any desire on my part to hinder your professional growth.

 

Despite your general opinion of my possessive nature over you, I truly wish that you are having a good time. I'm well aware that this photography commission by the National Geographic society is a unique work opportunity, and hope that you are making the most of it.

 

But the dangers of the Amazon jungle are not solely limited to jaguars and mosquitoes, you know? And I sometimes find myself wondering if you were born a trouble magnet, or if you acquired the skill growing up.

 

I think that we can both agree, Akihito, that you are exceedingly rash at the best of times, and that you have little to no regard for your own personal safety. Exhibit A being the bandage currently wrapped around your left wrist. (Surely you must be aware that lianas are not the steadiest form of vegetation to dangle from in order to take photographs...)

 

Now for the news:

 

\- just yesterday the Yomiuri Shimbun published a long article on the National Geographic's wildlife project in the Amazon. At least a dozen of your photos were printed alongside the article (including one displayed as a double page spread - Congratulations!). Don't worry about getting your hands on a copy of the newspaper though. I had Kirishima buy you at least a dozen copies. They're waiting for you at home.

 

\- someone by the name of Takato has left you a message on the answering machine with the details of the stag party for your mutual friend Kou. It is supposed to take place at a spot called 'The Lingerie Restaurant' (Seriously? What is wrong with your generation?).

 

\- ah yes, your mother called. Don't worry though, Kirishima was the one who picked up the phone and somehow managed to woo her with his professional charm. It seems you have some sort of family gathering at the end of June (some cousin of yours is getting married), and your parents wanted to make sure you'll be in Japan at the time. I don't do family weddings, Akihito. So don't even think about asking me to accompany you. However, if you yourself are not in the mood to go, I can always offer to make love to you until you're unable to walk straight. That way you don't even have to come up with a lie to ditch the event. 

 

As for me, I am perfectly fine, thanks for asking. Busy with work. I'm happy to report that unlike your predictions, I am not starving to death or consuming the equivalent of my weight in Nordic beer for dinner.

 

I could, however, do without the recurrent mental image of you swinging precariously from a liana whilst trying to take some absurd photo of a new insect species...

 

When is that bloody job assignment supposed to end anyway? Haven't the scientists gathered enough material for their experiments already? It seems to me that they are not very competent at their jobs.

 

Stay safe!

 

Or at the very least, **_try_ **to!

 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Asami Ryuichi

 

 

P.S. - Also, do not underestimate Suoh's skills. He has been known to be very efficient in man-to-jaguar combat.  
P.S. - Tell me more about that dream of yours. It sounds like it must have been awfully entertaining. Although I must say, I'm hardly surprised to learn that you misbehave even in dreams!


	3. Chapter 3

 

 

 

Friday, 3 May 2019

 

 

  
(National Geographic Campsite, Amazon rainforest, Brazil)

 

 

 

Dear Asami-bastard,

 

:-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P 

Enough emoticons for you? :-P Get with the program, old man. This is how cool people communicate with each other nowadays ;D

 

Thank you for your letter/ report. Very informative. It also served as a useful reminder of how you can sometimes display the same degree of emotional depth one can find on a tuna sandwich. Thanks for refreshing my memory of that! Stuck as I have been for weeks now in the middle of a jungle, I was beginning to envision you as a normal human being. You know, capable of communicating feelings and emotions like a regular person. Can you imagine?! _Pfui_! Clearly this tropical heat isn't doing me any good!

 

May I perhaps take this opportunity to remind you in return that _you_ hid my passport for two whole weeks before I left Japan, in an attempt to stop me from coming on this job assignment? How does _that_ fit in with your so-called 'no desire to hinder my professional growth'?!

 

Also, how the _hell_ do you know about the bandage around my wrist?!! There's no way to contact Japan from here. Did you hijack a communications' satellite by any chance?! I've tried asking Suoh-san about this, but he just glares at me whenever I ask him anything (seriously though, I think he's just about had it with this place. He's even started talking to himself when no one's around. I hope you're paying him well... o.O)

 

And as for my wrist, it was an accident, ok? The liana branch I was hanging from kind of split into two and I fell. It happens! No need to send a SWAT team to come and rescue me. I just twisted my wrist a little bit when I landed on the floor, that's all. It barely hurts anymore.

 

Besides, it was all worth it. Turns out the insect I took the picture of while I was hanging onto the liana belongs to a new species. I got the confirmation this morning  from the scientists who examined the photo.

 

And do you want to know the best part? They asked me if I wanted to name it :DDD (they've been finding so many new species that they've run out of scientific names for them ha ha).

 

At the moment I'm torn between _Asamicus Bastardicus_ and _Ryuichicus Ego Giganticus_. What do you think? Which name should I pick? ;-P

 

In all truth, the insect kind of resembles you - super serious face and no smiles. I can't wait for you to see the photo I took of it! Hey, maybe you can get it framed and put up on display at your office!

 

Oh, by the way, how is the penthouse renovation getting along? Is your bedroom already done, or are you still having to sleep on my bed? (I'm not giving you my mattress, got it? I don't care how much you like it!... I'm serious, Asami!).

 

You know, it's the third time in a row that Kirishima-san is the one who picks up the phone when my mother calls. I'm beginning to think you're afraid of talking to her o.O She's actually pretty cool, you know? And besides, I told her you're my housemate already, so it's not like she'd be surprised if you were the one to talk to her (I did tell her you are a middle-aged drag queen from Guatemala though, so please try to act the part when you do talk to her on the phone, ok? :D )   

 

Well, that's it for now! It has just stopped raining. Time to get back to work!

 

 

See ya!

 

    Akihito ;-)

 

 

P.S. - It looks like the crew will be ready to wrap things up around here sometime next week. Why are you so eager to have me back anyway? Tired of eating canned food, are you? I knew you'd miss my cooking he he

P.S. - As for the dream, it was business as usual, I suppose. Turns out you can't stand anyone touching what's yours even as a feline, and so acted like a total bastard toward innocent bear-me just because I stole a tiny bit of honey from you! Can't say I'm all that surprised. Bastard in real life, bastard in dream land. No difference there... XP    

P.S.- And there is NOTHING wrong with my handwriting, Mr. I-had-calligraphy-lessons-at-a-private-school!!!


	4. Chapter 4

 

 

**[May 10, Tokyo]**

 

 

 

Akihito,

 

I find it exceedingly humorous how you're so bloody easy to rattle. No wonder you keep getting yourself in trouble 24/7!

 

I believe some form of meditation might be beneficial in assisting you to curb your temper, yet I fear such a suggestion might end up being wasted on someone like you. After all, meditation requires one to stay perfectly still for numerous stretches of time. Something unthinkable in your case, I know.

 

Thank you for your latest missive. As much as I am flattered by your offer to name a species of hexapod invertebrates after me, I nevertheless feel as though I should point you toward some better name options.

 

How about _Akihitus Erraticus_? Or even _Clumsyus Takabus_? I believe such names constitute a far better representation of those eccentric, bizarre and sometimes downright awkward behaviors often displayed by the insect class.

 

Now, if it were up to me alone, I would gladly name the new species _Akihitus Assus Delectablus_ , although I am well aware that would technically qualify as a sub-species name instead, and one comprised of only one specimen. Also, I suspect the National Geographic society would probably end up censoring the name. A shame, really! 

 

Regarding the passport 'incident' which you alluded to in your last letter, I'm afraid I'm yet again forced to remind you that _you_ were the one who stored your passport away with my personal paperwork whilst cleaning the apartment. Honestly, Akihito. Put your neurons to work for a minute. Do you really think I'd need to resort to theft in order to prevent you from leaving Japan, when I could have simply locked you up inside the panic room on the day of the flight? 

 

You know, I've always wondered where that ability of yours to spin events in your head comes from? Having had the opportunity to speak to your mother yesterday (Oh yes, she phoned again), I can safely say that you didn't inherit that delusional trait from her. She seems perfectly sound to me, and clearly far from gullible, unlike her son (did you really think she would fall for the drag queen story?)

 

I'll have you know that we had a very interesting (and equally enlightening) conversation about you. I was surprised to learn just how much of an _enfant terrible_ you truly were (I must say, your juvenile delinquency record does not pay you enough justice on that regard).

 

Suffice to say, your mother was able to answer all of my most pressing questions about your infamous teenage years, and even went as far as to provide me with a plethora of interesting, albeit embarrassing details about your youth.

 

What's this I heard about you carrying around a teddy bear wherever you went until you were 8? And is it really true that as a junior in high school you were temporarily expelled because you were caught, quote, "frolicking with a senior student" inside the gym locker room? And here I was thinking I had been your first!

 

Have I mentioned I invited your mother over for tea? She's extremely curious to find out where you've been living for these past few months after all. I must say, we've hit it off quite nicely, your mother and I. I see a blossoming friendship developing between us in the future. We have many stories about you to share between the two of us after all.

 

Hope you're having fun amongst all that heat and oversized mosquitoes!

 

Yours truly,  
     Asami Ryuichi

 

 

P.S. - Do you really think 9800 miles, some poor satellite coverage and a jungle are enough obstacles to prevent me from getting daily updates on you? I'm disappointed in your faith in me. I honestly thought you knew me better than that...  
P.S. - I also thought I had already informed you that the penthouse renovation plans included knocking down your bedroom wall, so there'd be room for an even bigger suite for me. It must have slipped my mind entirely. But worry not. Now that you don't have a bedroom of your own, I've placed your beloved mattress on my own bed. That way we can both share it!  
P.S. - Oh and please tell me your punishment in the dream involved some sort of spanking! Perhaps I should get you a bear costume so that we can re-enact the scene when you return. I don't recall ever having spanked a furry ass before. I should note that down on my bucket list.


	5. Chapter 5

 

 

Wednesday, 15 May 2019

 

 

 

(Currently perched with my camera on a sequoia branch 200 feet above the ground, waiting for the rain to stop. I may or may not be wearing a safety rope as I'm writing this letter XPPP )  
 

 

 

Dear Asami,

 

 

**I HATE YOU!**

 

 

Kind regards,  
Takaba Akihito

 

 

 

P.S. - That comment about knocking down my bedroom wall better be a joke!!!  
P.S. - Tomorrow night is the farewell party for the crew. There's this local alcoholic beverage called _cachaça_ that I've been meaning to try. I intend to get positively hammered on the stuff at the party and make out with a native... You don't mind, do you? 


	6. Chapter 6

 

 

 

 

Thursday (I think), 16 May 2019

 

 

 

Hey Asami,

 

I know that being as drunk as I am right now, I probably shouldn't be writing to you, but I don't care!

 

I need to get this out of my system.

 

I miss you, ok?

 

There, I've said it. _Deal with it!_

 

But it's true... I swear it is.

 

I can't tell you how much I miss you, and how often I think about you, and how I wish you were here with me.

 

You are always on my mind, Asami, ALWAYS. Even when I'm sleeping. I dream about you every freaking night! And they're not exactly 'innocent' dreams, do you get what I'm saying? We go all the way in every single one of them. EVERY SINGLE ONE!

 

And I'm seriously pissed off at myself for feeling this way, ok? But the truth is that there have been so many moments when I've just wanted to drop everyting here and go back home as fast as I could, because nothing means anything to me without you. You are ALL that I care about, got it? And I can't wait to feel your body next to mine again. I miss your touch so much that I sometimes think I'll go insane without it.

 

But don't get me wrong! I still think you're a monumental selfish bastard, and that you're the sole reason rent is so bloody high right now all over Tokyo! But damn it all, I still like you despite all of that!

 

I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I'm in love with you, you jerk!

 

Shit, I'm crying. You've made me cry and you're on the other side of the world. That's how much power you have over me, you asshole. You've made my entire world revolve around you and you don't even realize it. I wish I hated you.

 

But I don't, damn it! I love you. Aaaargh!!!!!

 

Damn you! Damn all of this! I'm going back to the party!

 

Akihito


	7. Chapter 7

 

 

Friday, 17 May 2019

 

 

(National Geographic Campsite, Amazon rainforest, Brazil)

 

 

Asami,

 

Listen, this is really important!!

 

I think I might have mailed you a letter yesterday night while I was drunk. (Don't judge, ok? That _cachaça_ they served at the farewell party was a real killer! I'm nursing the hangover of the century right now... :'-(    )

 

Truth is, I don't really remember much about last night, except that I wrote you some sort of message.

 

Now hear me out. I'm going to send you this letter via express mail so that it reaches you before the other one.

 

Don't read the other letter, Asami! As a matter of fact, throw it in the trash as soon as it reaches you. Please!

 

I was drunk, Asami! I didn't mean any of it. ANY OF IT! Whatever it is that I wrote down, it's just the blabbering of a drunken mind. You have to believe me. I wasn't myself at all last night.

 

Please Asami! I'll do anything you want. I'm begging you here! Just please, DON'T read the letter.

 

 

Akihito  (ーー゛)

 

 

P.S. - We're leaving for Manaus this afternoon, and from there we're taking a charter flight to São Paulo. I'm enclosing in the envelope the name and address of the hotel where we'll be staying at in the city. My flight for Japan leaves in four days. I should arrive at Narita airport at around noon on Friday.  
P.S. - I've never seen Suoh-san look so happy. The man actually smiled when he found out we were leaving. I'm not even kidding. The dude cracked a huge smile! The type where you can see teeth and all. Scariest thing I've ever seen in my life  o.O


	8. Chapter 8

**[TELEGRAM FROM ASAMI RYUICHI TO TAKABA AKIHITO @ MERCURE SAO PAULO JARDINS HOTEL]**

 

[RECEIVED ALL OF YOUR LETTERS]

[READ THEM ALL]

[FACE IT, YOU WERE ALWAYS MORE HONEST WHEN DRUNK]

[HAVE A NICE FLIGHT HOME]

[SEE YOU ON FRIDAY]

[   ;‑)   ]

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be the last one. It won't be in letter form though. Just regular text, and it will depict Aki and Asami's reunion :) Until then, happy readings!


	9. Chapter 9

Narita airport was in a state of absolute chaos... as tends to be the norm for any decently sized international airport.

Nevertheless, and in spite of the hubbub created by the endless crowds of people moving around the place, the dangerous driving of airport workers frantically attempting to get tardy passengers onto their boarding gates, and the occasional noisy pet animal manifesting its unhappiness for being stuck inside a carrier, Akihito still took in his surroundings with a huge smile as soon as he stepped out of the jet bridge and onto Narita's main terminal.

"Yes!" He exclaimed with glee. "I'm home. Finally!"

He turned round just in time to see Suoh Kazumi's massive body surfacing through the jet bridge's entryway, all but clogging the space.

"Humph." Was the bodyguard's only reply; one which made the photographer frown deeply.

"Boy, you really don't like flying, do you Suoh-san?"

For a second, Akihito thought that the other man was simply going to grunt again, but surprisingly enough Suoh did end up replying to him with an intelligible sentence.

"Do you happen to know _anyone_ who enjoys being stuck inside airplanes for 48hours straight?" The man retorted unamused.

"Huh...Guess not."

"Come on." The bodyguard said, walking past the younger man. "We still have to go through baggage reclaim. No point in sticking around here."

He was already making his way toward the exit, along with all the other flight's passengers, when Akihito called out to him.

"Say...Suoh-san?"  

"What is it?" The burly man asked over his shoulder, surprised to find the photographer suddenly bowing toward him in a respectful manner.

"T-Thank you for taking care of me these past couple of months. I hope I wasn't too much of a hassle." Akihito said sheepishly.

Judging by the look Suoh gave him though, he had a feeling the bodyguard was in no hurry to repeat the experience.

"Don't mention it." The man retorted nonetheless. "I was just doing my job."

The photographer scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Even so... It didn't look as though you enjoyed the Amazon one bit."

" _I_ _said_ , don't mention it." Suoh replied firmly, seemingly putting an end to the conversation, only to shrug casually a moment later whilst adding: "Besides, the job isn't over yet. Come on; let's get your luggage so that we can get out of this place."

And he turned toward the exit once more, preventing the photographer from asking him anything else for the time being.

Their stint at the baggage reclaim section ended up being the usual bore, with some people complaining left and right about inadmissible flight delays, while others shared horror stories of lost luggage and reminisced on the good old days, when travelling by plane still had some glamour associated with it.

Neither Akihito, nor Suoh hanged around the area for longer than necessary though, eager as both were to get outside for some much needed fresh air.

As soon as the sliding doors to the airport opened, Akihito stepped onto the street pavement and took in a big breath.

"Ah, don't you just love Japan?" He asked, stretching his arms above his head.

The other man, however, ignored the comment altogether.

" _Now_ my job is done!" Suoh said out of the blue.

"Huh?"

But by the time the photographer understood the meaning of the remark, Suoh was already walking away from him.

"Hey, Suoh-san. Wait up!" Akihito called out, running after the man. "I'll hail us a cab. We can share a ride back to the city."

But the bodyguard shook his head at the suggestion. "No need. I left my car on the airport's parking lot," He informed. "and besides, your own ride is already waiting for you." He added, pointing toward the end of the road that ran alongside the front of the airport.

To Akihito's surprise, he soon spotted a familiar-looking Bentley GT Continental half-parked on the street pavement.

He opened his eyes wide at the unexpected sight. "What-?"

"Go on, kid. Don't leave him waiting." Suoh admonished. "He doesn't have all day, you know?" And he gave the young man a light push on the back, steering him in the direction of the vehicle.

Feeling suddenly baffled, the photographer soon started walking toward the Bentley, nearly ignoring Suoh's farewell greeting.

"See you, Suoh-san!" He said at the last minute, but the other man had already resumed his path toward the parking lot. "Thanks again for everything!"

He was still able to see the bodyguard raising his hand in the air in acquiescence to the remark, just before the latter disappeared amongst the throng of people crowding the pavement in front of the airport's main sliding doors.

Akihito's attention soon turned towards the Bentley again, which rear end was facing him at the moment.

"I wonder why Asami sent Kirishima-san to come pick me up." He thought to himself as he approached the car. "I could very well have taken a cab home. No biggie."

He slid along the right side of the car towards the front passenger's door, opened it, and was about to greet Asami's stoic assistant, when he received the shock of his life.

" _Asami_?!" He exclaimed incredulously, staring with his mouth hanging open at the driver behind the wheel.

"Get in. This is a no parking zone." The business man quickly remarked.

Stunned beyond words and still not quite believing his eyes, the photographer slid onto the passenger's seat, placing his travel backpack across his lap.

"Is that all of your luggage?" Asami asked him calmly.

Feeling tongue-tied, Akihito could only nod in reply.

"Very well. Put your seatbelt on so that we can get going then."

A request which the photographer swiftly complied with.

The sound of the Bentley's fine-tuned engine soon reached his ears, and the car turned towards the road.

None of them spoke until the Bentley stopped at a traffic light a little further down the airport's main avenue.

"Welcome back." Asami's voice finally broke through the silence.

There was a hint of amusement in his words, which, albeit small, did not escape the younger man's notice.

In fact, the photographer was about to comment on it, when turning towards the driver's seat, his eyes fell upon Asami's profile and the memory of the love letter he had sent the man the week before suddenly popped to the front of his mind, once again leaving him at a loss for words.

As a result, the photographer quickly resumed his position on the passenger's seat facing the road, nevertheless blushing twenty shades of red in the process.

It wasn't long before he sensed, more than saw, the other man grinning beside him.

"You're awfully quiet." Asami observed; eyes fixed on the road. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?... Or was it a jaguar?"

The younger man rolled his eyes at the lame joke. Asami Ryuichi might be a man of many talents, but cracking jokes was definitely not one of them.

"You didn't have to come pick me up, you know?" Akihito said a moment later, in a quiet voice. "I was planning to take a cab home."

"Ah, he speaks after all!" The business man quipped, but noticing Akihito's sudden annoyed grimace, he added: "I don't mind. It's no trouble to me."

"But it's Friday." The photographer frowned. "Shouldn't you be working right now?"

Asami's subsequent smile wasn't much of an answer to that question.

"Where's Kirishima-san anyway?" Akihito asked instead, looking over his shoulder toward the back seat of the car; still half-expecting to find Asami's right hand man sitting there with his trusty iPad in hand. "When I saw the Bentley, I thought he had been the one to come pick me up."

"Kirishima... is on vacations, actually." Asami informed. "I gave him the weekend off."

" _No way_! You're joking! And he took it?!" The look of utter shock on Akihito's face was enough to make the business man let out a quiet laugh.

"He did." The latter nodded in confirmation.

"Wow! I don't know what to say... A person leaves the country for two months and the world suddenly turns upside down. Kirishima-san on vacations! Who would have guessed?"

Akihito was about to crack a joke on account of the unexpected occurrence, when his eyes suddenly fell upon the suitcase neatly arranged behind the driver's seat.

"Hey, who does this carry on belong to?" He looked toward Asami just as the car passed by the road sign that indicated Tokyo's highway ramp without any hint of slowing down.

"Mm, Asami. I think you've just passed by our exit."

"I know... But I'm not driving toward Tokyo."

"Huh?"

"And the carry on is mine." He said, eyeing Akihito's reaction to the information from the corner of his eye. "...I'm on vacations too, you see?"

"Huh??"

The shadow of a smile appeared on Asami’s lips. "But only until Monday." He relayed. "I have a busy work week ahead. I can only afford to take the weekend off." And seeing as Akihito's gob smacked facial expression didn't seem to be going away any time soon, he added: "You are too, by the way. I've packed some of your clothes alongside mine in the suitcase." His gaze fell momentarily toward Akihito's stuffed backpack. "I, of course, assumed that there wouldn't be any clean clothes inside that thing."

"Huh... Say, Asami... do you have a fever again by any chance?" Was the younger man's unexpected question; one which caused the other to frown.

"No...Why?"

"You're acting kind of weird. You know,..  _nice;_  kind of like you did back when we got stranded on that deserted island off the coast of Hong Kong. You had a fever back then too..."

"Really?" Asami chuckled under his breath. "...Perhaps I'm just drunk instead."

The casual remark caused the photographer to once again blush profusely, much to the business man's amusement.

"Listen," The latter said. "The renovation work on the penthouse is only scheduled to finish on Sunday. There's no point in us going back there now, unless you're in the mood to paint some walls. Seeing as I need to give a final ok to the refurbishing of Sion's beach hotel in Atami, I thought I'd head down there for the weekend and take advantage of the facilities. Besides, being near the ocean will help you to clear off the jet lag faster." He concluded, taking a hand off of the wheel to ruffle Akihito's hair.

The photographer grimaced. "Dude, there's no way you don't have a fever! Stop acting all weird. You're freaking me out here."

Asami huffed in reply. "An ironic statement, considering the letter you sent me last week. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I told you already, I was drunk!! People say weird shit when they're drunk!"

"Do you really not recall what it was that you wrote to me?" The business man asked, narrowing his eyes at Akihito for a moment.

"No....Not everything, at least... How bad was it?"

"Mm, let me see if I recall correctly. Ah yes, ' _You are always on my mind, Asami. Nothing I do has any meaning without you. I dream about you every single night._ ' You know, stuff around those lines."

"You're lying! There's no way I'd write anything like that!"

But the business man ignored him, instead adding: “Also, a lot of things such as ' _I miss you_.' and ' _I wish you were here with me._ ' "

"Stop! Stop! I don't want to know!" Akihito pleaded, covering his ears with his hands.

"Ah yes, and you did of course mention a couple of times that you're in love with me. Let's not forget that!"

Akihito went dead silent then, a look of bewildered shock plastered all over his face.

His paralysis only ended up lasting a few seconds though, for he quickly removed his seatbelt and started working on the passenger door's control panel, with the apparent intent of opening it.

"What are you doing?!" Akihito asked.

"Stop the car. I want to get out."

"Are you out of your mind, Takaba? We're on a highway!"

"I don't care!" The photographer retorted, as he continued to fight with the control panel.

"Stop that!"

"No!"

Asami had just about managed to grab hold of Akihito's wrist with one hand, when the photographer successfully managed to open the Bentley's passenger door, even though the car was going well over 55 miles per hour at the time.

The action caused the vehicle to swerve dangerously on the road, and it was only thanks to Asami's expert driving skills that the latter was able to stop the car by the side of the highway without it hitting another vehicle in the process.

" _Are.You.Mental_?" He hissed as soon as he turned the engine off. "Do you want to get us killed? What was that all about?!"

"S-Sorry." Akihito mumbled guiltily, still not fully recovered from the scare. "I don't know what came over me."

The business man sighed, pulling a hand through his hair. "If you're freaking out because of that letter, Akihito" He said after a moment of silence. "then you might as well know that I have known about how you feel about me for a long time now... What you wrote on that letter wasn't exactly news to me."

"Wha-What?!" Akihito panicked again. " _How_?"

Asami sighed again, shifting positions on the driver's seat so that he better faced the photographer.

"You talk in your sleep, Akihito." He informed the younger man matter-of-factly.

" _W-What_?! What are you talking about? There's no way I talk in my sleep. That's bullshit!"

But the older man was shaking his head even before Akihito had finished speaking.

"You do." He reinforced the idea, crossing his arms in front of his chest. " _A lot._ "

Akihito gulped. In truth, he remembered hearing stories from his parents who claimed that growing up he used to engage in lengthy nightly monologues with himself. But he had thought himself cured of that by now...

"H-How long have you known?" He mumbled mortified.

It looked to him as though Asami was trying hard not to grin at his despair. "...Ever since the first time you stayed over a full night at the penthouse." The business man stopped to muse with his thoughts for a moment. "About a year ago, I guess." He eventually added.

A sound resembling a whimper escaped Akihito's lips at the revelation. "Ah,  _damn_!" The photographer cursed out loud, hiding his face in his hands. "Where is a hole on the floor when you freaking need one?"

Asami's amused chuckles soon reached his ears.

"I'm never going to live this down, am I?" Akihito asked, peeking at the older man through the gaps between his fingers.

"I don't think so, no." The older man remarked, smiling broadly now.

Akihito waited in silence for the endless teasing he knew would soon follow.

"Come on." He said after the silence between them unexpectedly dragged on; with the older man simply staring at him. "What's holding you back, you bastard? Aren't you dying to make fun of me?"

He put up his defenses in place as best as the situation allowed him too, but nothing could have really prepared him for what happened next.

Instead of teasing him in any way, Asami leaned over towards the passenger's seat, and placing his hand on the back of Akihito's neck, he brought their faces together until their lips brushed against each other, tentatively at first, and then more intensively, almost possessively, making Akihito shiver involuntarily under his touch.

"I missed you too, you incorrigible brat." Asami said against the younger man's lips, once he broke the kiss.

And before Akihito even had a chance to process what had just happened, he pulled a neatly wrapped package from the back of the passenger's seat, and placed it on top of the photographer's lap.

"Here." He said, sporting a sudden mischievous smile on his lips. "A welcome home gift for you." He added, straightening back up on the driver's seat. "Come on, open it." He urged the photographer on, seeing as the latter was eyeing the package suspiciously.

Akihito started to open the package ever so slowly, carefully peeking inside it through the torn wrapping paper, making Asami roll his eyes at the scene. "It's not going to bite you, you know?" The business man said, whilst pulling the car back onto the highway and driving on.

It wasn't long before the photographer gasped in outrage.

"Is this a bear costume? What the hell?!" Akihito cried out, whilst holding up a furry brown ensemble, complete with a bear-like tail and a hood featuring round ears. 

He suddenly recalled the dream he had had while he was in the Amazon. "You! _You_ are one sick man!" He said, pointing an accusatory finger toward Asami.

" _I'm_ a sick man?" The latter scoffed. "May I remind you that it was _your_ dream?"

"Either way, there's not a chance in hell I'm putting this on! Do you hear me?"

Asami grinned at the words. "We'll see about that..."

"Keep dreaming, old man... Geez, you are the worst!"

The older man shrugged. "Perhaps. But according to your letter, you still like me, despite my many so-called flaws."

"I do _not_!!"

Needless to mention, the two of them went on bickering with each other all the way over to Atami.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my head, Akihito did end up wearing that bear costume (although Asami had to get him a bit drunk first. I'm sure that wasn't hard though) (￣∇￣")  
> Hope you enjoyed the story. Until next time! ( '◡' )ﾉ


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